On 25-26 February 2025, the Horizon Europe-funded project LAFERIA has its inaugural consortium meeting. Project partners gathered in Vila do Conde, Portugal, hosted at the BIOPOLIS headquarters. The meeting joined 13 European organisations, most in person and some online, as well as European Commission representatives. 

LAFERIA’s project coordinator, Francisco Moreira (BIOPOLIS) opened the floor by encouraging a round of introductions and presenting the background, structure and context of the project. The rest of the coordination team followed his lead with sections on the project’s desired impact and its implementation,  and coordination and management, led by Guy Pe’er ( UFZ / iDIV) and Angela Lomba (BIOPOLIS) respectively. 

Alberto Pozza (REA), LAFERIA’s EC project officer, joined the meeting online to deliver a session on the key aspects of project management and the administrative framework for Horizon Europe projects. Wrapping up the introductory part of the meeting, Francisco Sánchez Crespo, a policy officer at the European Commission, addressed the project’s policy framework by presenting EU policies relevant to LAFERIA, such as the EU Green Deal and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.

The rest of the first day focused on introducing each Work Package, with the leads providing an overview to help the consortium get familiar with the deliverables, milestones, and tasks ahead. Later, Pensoft Publishers hosted a session on the principles of Horizon Europe Open Science, offering insights on data management. 

The second day started off with an introduction to the project’s planned case studies, which will focus on specific areas in each case study country (Portugal, Finland, Sweden, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany). Partners acknowledged their distinct landscapes and agricultural contexts, every study with its own challenges. Each presentation highlighted the key landscape features and agricultural systems of the area, along with specific questions and points of interest to be further explored.

The afternoon was dedicated to interactive activities encouraging open discussions and brainstorming sessions, namely on the topic of stakeholder engagement. A world-café was organised by creating three stations focusing on stakeholder engagement at national, international, and local levels, allowing the groups to rotate through each station and contribute to discussions at every level. The day ended with a final round of breakout rooms allowing for more in-depth discussions, pinning down next steps and dividing responsibilities. 

The two-day event marked a pivotal first step in fostering successful collaboration among all partners, setting the stage for four years of teamwork and shared progress.

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